With QB Ben Roethlisberger on the COVID list it was a Mason Rudolph day in a classic Heinz Field mudder on Sunday afternoon. The Steelers got the ball first and he got them off to a fast start, marching down the field and finding his college teammate James Washington wide open in the back of the end zone.
After that the wheels starting spinning in the mud. Five three-and-out’s and a Rudolph INT later the Lions finally got on the board. A 48-yard punt return (tackled by P Presley Harvin III) set the tone, then RB Jermar Jefferson found a crack in the first layer of the defense and the second layer never got there.
Rudolph threw 7/7 for 52 yards over the next 13 plays and eight-and-a-half minutes, penetrating to Detroit’s 2 yard line before settling for a FG. 10-7 PIT
Detroit answered by driving 67 yards in 12 plays, but in only four-and-a-half minutes. They also stalled at their opponent’s 2 yard line and leveled the score as time expired. HALFTIME SCORE: 10-10
Detroit came out of the gate running like Seabiscuit in the second half. Five of the six plays of their opening drive were rushes, and all 85 of their yards were on the ground. This TD run features some of the most sickening tackling you’ll ever witness; I do not recommend watching it again.
The Steelers needed to string together some first downs and give their defense time to collect themselves, and they did exactly that. Mason started it out with this beauty:
Helped along by three defensive penalties (two offsides and a late hit), Mason got his boys down to the Detroit 5 yard line before throwing three incomplete passes. Pittsburgh answered Detroit’s TD with a FG. 16-13 PIT
The Steelers and Lions combined for 16 punts and 10 three-and-outs today. Tackling and ball-security were issues for both sides all day, but the conditions didn’t bother K Chris Boswell. He knocked through a 51-yarder to tie it at 16 with 11:31 in the fourth quarter.
The remaining six drives of regulation totaled 45 yards, four first downs and zero points. END OF REGULATION: 16-16
In OT, the Lions had three first downs, two punts and a missed 48-yard FG. Twice the Steelers got into field goal range, but fumbles from WR Diontae Johnson and TE Pat Freiermuth gave the Lions second and third lives in the sudden death situation.
Time expired as Detroit lateraled the ball back and forth and they ran out of bounds to end the game with a whimper.
FINAL SCORE: 16-16
WR Chase Claypool battling a week-to-week toe situation presented an opportunity for Ray Ray McCloud. He had a team-high (and personal career record) nine catches, four for first downs and two third-down conversions.
In addition to Roethlisberger and Claypool, the Steelers lost Kevin Dotson, Joe Haden, Trai Turner and TJ Watt to injury in-game. I’ll have another post this week on those guys and what that means for later this week.
CamBlackburnWrites 